Lychnis Coronaria

First saw this biennial growing in a part shade flower bed of a cottage garden. The colour of the flat one inch flowers is best described in Garden to Vase
as shocking fuchsia. The author also recommends them as cut flowers. Something I intend to try next season.

Left to reseed they are easy to pull up or move. The Angel Blush variety is snow white with a hint of pink that slowly deepens to a rich rose with a white edge. I will be starting some inside in March. You can find seeds for Lychnis Coronaria Alba at the StokesSeeds site.

The old fashion look of this flower is ideal for a Keepsake box

Gleaming Mahogany

Tropaeolum majus, better known as Nasturtium have a wide variety of colours. Gleaming Mahogany from Mr Fothergill's Seeds is one of my favourites. As you can see in the photo they grow well in pots. They are also good companion plants.

Another reason I grow these gems is because ants don't like them much. With my sandy loam, ants can be a problem. I also plan to use the photo as reference in a drawing.

Tip Apricot Nasturium

Tip Top Apricot tropaeolum minus. The flowers sprouted from seeds that were left to overwinter in an unheated garage (forgot to bring them in). I use them in the garden to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. They also look nice growing at the base of tomato plants. As you can see by the photo, their seeds are well worth saving.

You can find the seeds on the Thompson and Morgan website.

Blue Hydrangea

The bloom came from a garden where I was hired as a helper. Some of the blooms were more pink while others more blue. This one has a little of both. I now grow a few moheads of my own.

The shades and fine details of the petals made it perfect for practicing close-ups. Then with Photoshop Elements, I modified the not so great background.



For more information on Hydrangeas, visit Hydrangea.com

Shoo-fly

If you ever grown shoo-fly in you garden, you know how large and beautiful this annual can get in just one season. I first saw one growing in a friends garden and loved the flower's blue shade. Now I collect seeds from my own plants to make sure I have fresh seeds for the next neason. The actual name is Nicandra Physaloides but they are also known as Apple of Peru.

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